Treatment of Asthma

Inhalers are best asthma treatment

Asthma Treatment

Till date there is no cure for asthma. But if a person take the medicine properly then he can lead normal life style. The management of asthma include asthma education and learning to avoid asthma triggers. Medications include Reliever and controller medication.

Reliever / Rescue medications-

These medications are those which quickly relax airways and thereby relieve the symptomsof asthma. These include: short-acting beta-agonists (SABA) medication like salbutamol or levosalbutamol. You can use it as and when require basis.

Controller medications-

They reduce airway inflammation, control symptoms, reduced asthma exacerations and improve the lung function. These include inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) like budesonide, fluticasone, mometasone, beclomethasone etc.

Combination Therapy-

This contain an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) medicine. Combination medications include Fluticasone & Salmeterol, Budesonide & Formoterol, and Mometasone & formoterol.

Other medication for asthma treatment-

Anticholinergics medications medication like tiotropium.

Leukotriene modifiers like Montelukast, Zafirlukast.

Oral and intravenous corticosteroids like prednisone and methylprednisolone, used in acute exacerbation of asthma.

Monoclnal antibody– Anti IgE Antibody- Omalizumab. Helpful in allergic asthma.

Immunotherapy:

Allergy shots are the special treatment for a patient with allergic diseases. In AIT, purified standard allergen in small doses is introduced to body in a graded manner. This increasing dose of giving allergen over a period of time improves immune tolerance to a particular that allergen and thereby reduces symptoms of allergy produced by that allergen. But before starting AIT, your Allergist do certain tests to find out what are the allergens which you are allergic too. After finding out the causative allergen if you’re Allergist thinks that it will be responsive to AIT, then and then only AIT can be started. Immunotherapy  is a long term treatment, so it need cooperation on behalf of patient.

There are two types of AIT. These include

1. Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT):

Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT) is an effective treatment for allergy. In SCIT a series of injections are given subcutaneously about once a week during the initial phase of treatment. The treatment require a period of one to three years.  Some physician continue SCIT for three to five years. SCIT can provide complete cure of allergy in some patients. Many individual experience symptoms free for several years after stopping treatment.

2. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT):

In Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), purified standardized allergen in small doses is placed under tongue in a graded manner. This increasing dose of giving allergen over a period of time improves immune tolerance to that allergen and reduces symptoms. SLIT in very helpful in the treatment of dust mite allergy.